The Changeling
by michL87
Summary: Bella discovers that she is not as human as she originally thought.
1. Chapter 1 The First Morning

**The Changeling**

_Selene, the goddess of the moon, was driving her milky horses across the sky one evening, and her soft gaze fell on the shepherd Endymion, napping amongst his sheep. Selene fell in love with him instantaneously. That night Selene went to Zeus and asked if Endymion could be granted eternal youth and eternal life.  Zeus granted Selene's wish, but not without a price. Endymion slept on for eternity, living in a land of his own lucid dreams, able to visit the dreams of others. He visited Selene in her dreams every night and she bore fifty daughters to Endymion –powerful and beautiful with striking dark hair like their mother, pale and mortal like their father._

I was falling through space, except glowing orbs replaced what would have been stars. Each orb contained a face of someone I recognized. I tried to reach out and grab the orbs to stop my fall, but they just kept getting further away and I continued down the dreadful descent.

"Bella." I heard the silky voice in my dreams. The falling ended abruptly and I found myself on my bed, with Edward's cold chest serving as my pillow. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, just another freaky dream," I responded. "I have been having them more than usual." While talking I glanced out of my window with the old, yellow curtains. A ray of light shone through my room, so strong that I could see the dust floating around inside of it. "It is sunny today," I observed.

"Yes, it is." I watched him, waiting for an explanation. Normally on sunny school days Edward went home for the night with his family, as the Cullen's and Hale's cannot show themselves in the sun. At least without getting much attention from everyone around them, seeing as their rock-hard skin sparkles like a million diamonds in the sunlight. It is actually quite a beautiful sight, but one they prefer not to publicize.

"Okay …" I prodded.

"We are not going to school today. I have something else in mind."

"You have something _else _in mind?" Edward knows I do not skip school. I understand why he is able to do it – I imagine high school must be quite easy if you have gone to multiple colleges and even medical school. But I did not have that advantage.

"Seeing as it is your birthday and all," he began. I cut him off with a load groan. "You did not actually think you could hide this from me, did you?" he questionably raised an eyebrow. "Charlie knows it is your birthday, so I naturally heard him planning what to buy you. And September 13th, it is ironic, to say the least. Thirteen is often considered an unlucky number."

Great. Not only was my birthday public knowledge, thanks to Edward (I assume he told the rest of his family as well), but my dad was planning on buying me a gift. Didn't he realize that being able to live with him in Forks was a gift in itself? Not to mention him buying me a car when I first arrived. So maybe the car died over the summer, but that was not his fault. Besides, Edward provides excellent transportation.

Edward gave a half smile when he realized how – unexcited I was. I suppose a typical 17-year-old would be overly excited to turn 18, become an official adult, and everything that goes along with it. But for me, all it meant was that I would forever be older than Edward, who would be 17 forever.

He looked at me with his liquid topaz eyes, and I knew that I would not be in school today.

"But won't the school wonder where I am and call Charlie?"

"Do not worry about it, I have everything covered."

Right, of course he does. He could probably tell the principle herself that we decided to skip out for the day, and she would simply smile and tell us to have fun. He tends to have that effect on people.

I heard three knocks on my door. Charlie. Edward immediately disappeared. I told Charlie to come in.

"Hey Bella, I just wanted to let you know that I am going to work early today. There are some bagels downstairs and cream cheese in the fridge."

"Thanks, Dad." He smiled when I said that. He always does that, ever since I began calling him "Dad" instead of "Charlie" sometime in the middle of August. Five seconds later I heard the front door slam and his car pull out of the driveway.

"Let me guess, you had _that_ planned as well," I spoke into the apparent empty room.

"What else would you expect?" He was on my bed instantly, as if he never moved in the first place. "But you should really get moving, I am taking you somewhere special today."

"Fiiine," I said, but it was obvious to both of us that I had given in a while back. "Just give me a human moment."

"Of course," he said.

I took a quick shower – the water was cold, I normally shower before Charlie. I felt bad for always leaving him with cold water. He never mentioned it, but I would be more conscious to shower after him from now on. I scrunched some gel into my hair to keep it from frizzing up in the sunlight and threw on my favorite dark, ripped jeans and black tank top. Might as well wear the summer clothes while I still can.

"Should I bring anything?" I asked him.

"Just yourself," he said, walking slowly towards me. "You are all I will ever need." His hand brushed softly against my cheek, and our eyes met. It was impossible not to get lost in his topaz gaze. After a few seconds, he playfully grabbed me and lifted me onto his back as if I were as light as a feather. He jumped out of my window – "flew" would actually be a more appropriate word. I closed my eyes and awaited our destination.

3


	2. Chapter 2 The Clearing

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters. Although I would not mind owning Edward ;)_

_It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. _

**The Changeling – Chapter 2**

After the first time riding Edward (for lack of a better term) I learned to bring a hair elastic so my hair would not be a mess when we arrived at our destination. My reaction was never as bad as the first time, during which I honestly feared puking on him during the trip. His running is so fast that it is impossible to tell that we are moving as long as my eyes remain closed. It is so easy to imagine that we are not traveling at an ungodly speed.

"You can get down now," he said. I had not realized how tightly I wrapped myself around him. If he were human, my fingernails would have undoubtedly left distinct marks upon his skin.

I gradually opened my eyes, careful not to send my body into shock. As much as I trust Edward, the fear remains in the back of my mind that I will have an unfortunate collision with one of the many trees in the forest.

I took in the beautiful surroundings that made up the clearing. I had not been back here since the night of "Thunderball," and it is so different in the daytime than it was during the storm.

"It is even more wonderful than I remembered," I said, taking in the area of tall grass and flowers enclosed all around by the thick forest.

At that moment, the small patch of clouds moved away from the sun. Edward's skin reflected the light, sending it in every direction possible. It bounced off the wildflowers, still slightly damp from the early morning dew.

"Wow," I gasped. He looked at me questionably, but it was apparent that he knew what I was gaping at. I would never get used to his … magnificence.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. "I could always take you back …"

"No!" I screamed.

The next thing I knew, we were both lying together in the tall blades of grass. My body was on top of his, and his arms surrounded me, in an unbroken promise to never let go.

"How does it feel to be 18?"

"Well, I am not technically 18. At least not yet."

He looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I was born at 8:30. At night," I confirmed.

"Hm, then we only have ten hours to go. Shall we count them down?"

I sat up in the grass. He let go, but looked at me, waiting for me to say something.

"You know, I do not have to ever be 18. I could stay 17. With you. _Forever_."

"Bella, have we not been over this enough? You deserve so much more than this … half life I am forced to live. I love you, but I could not bear doing, that to you." His eyes looked sad. As if he wanted to change me, but something was holding him back.

"Do you mean you do not want to be with me forever?" My voice cracked, on the verge of tears. "Because by not changing me, you are inadvertently giving me that 'half life' you claim to so adamantly detest." By this point I was sitting Indian style in the grass, my arms crossed firmly against my chest.

"Bella," he pleaded, "do we have to talk about this, today? I brought you here for a purpose – not to relive the conversation we have been having at least once a week for the whole summer. Can you give it a break? Just for this one day?"

I looked into his eyes. Although they were visibly the same light topaz of earlier this morning, they felt noticeably darker.

"Fine," I said. "But what is this so called 'purpose' you are referring to?"

He reached into the pocket of his light jeans and pulled an object from them.

"Happy birthday," he said.

I felt my heart plummet to the bottom of my chest. I suppose something inside of me believed that he took me here, today, to do what I had been asking of him all summer. To change me into one of his kind, into a vampire. Obviously, that was not going to happen anytime soon.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Keys!" He said. "I decided it was about time you had something besides that old truck." I started to protest. "Admit it Bella, we both know it is beyond repair. And how were you expecting to get to school on those rare sunny days?"

I pouted. He made a point. As much as I did not want him to get me anything – let alone a _car_ – it was an extremely nice gesture.

"Edward," I began, "you know I did not want you to spend any money on me." He began to object. "But – you make a good point. So, thank you. Although you must know, this makes me feel rather awkward. I have nothing for you."

His eyes got suddenly serious. "Bella, would you give me anything right now? Anything at all?"

I watched him carefully, with a sharp suspicion of what he was about to ask. "It matters," I started, "what is it you want?"

"You know what I want."

"I cannot stop asking, Edward. Because it is what I want, more than anything in the world." His finger swiftly moved against me mouth, silencing me from saying anymore.

"Don't you want to know what kind of car I got you?"

I looked at the keys, knowing immediately that it was some sort of Volkswagen.

"I have an idea … the giant VW on the front sort of gives that away."

"Oh Bella, do you not know how many possible models of Volkswagens there are out there? Just to inform you, it is a Jetta. I was very close to getting you the Bug – I believe it fits your personality quite well – but decided against it. Knowing you, you would probably end up killing yourself in that small thing. The Jetta did remarkably well in safety tests."

I thought that maybe a car accident would not be so bad. Assuming that I made it to the emergency room, I am pretty confident that Carlisle would grant what would surely be my final wish. Even if Edward did not do it himself, which is of course what I would prefer, anything is better than getting older, without him.

He dropped the keys into my hands. "The car should be outside your house tonight. Rosalie is currently – pimping it out – not to sound too much like the teens in the school. And do not worry, Charlie pitched in. So you do not have to worry about any more gifts."

I leaned toward him, very carefully, aware that any sudden movement could catch him unprepared. His eyes met mine in understanding, and I felt the coldness of his lips gently brush against mine.


	3. Chapter 3 The Beginning

**The Changeling – Chapter 3**

Disclaimer: Twilight and characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer.

No matter how many times I walk up the white steps and pass through the wonderfully restored wooden doors, I will never get used to how gigantic the Cullen's house is, so unlike anything else found in Forks.

It was not as though I could turn down the invitation for an 18th birthday party. No matter how much I wanted to.

I felt Edward looking at me.

"What?" I asked him.

"You aren't entering a torture chamber. You should try to smile. Esme has been preparing for this all day." I smiled for his benefit. "That's better."

I stepped inside the large entrance hall, and the entire Cullen clan was there. Esme was in the front, standing proudly next to a small chocolate cake. Rosalie lingered in the back with Emmett's arm around her, and she smiled at me briefly. She was not quite the ice queen she was back in the beginning of the summer. I think she was starting to realize that this thing with Edward is not just a phase and that unlike her, I _want_ to be one of them.

"Thanks," I whispered. This was part of the reason I hated these celebrations so much. I never knew the right thing to say.

"Of course, dear," Esme said understandably. I realized how tense I was – Edward's arm had not let go of my waist the entire time.

"Look at the time," he whispered in my ear. I looked at the flashing digital clock next to the velvet couch blinking 8:29. One more minute and I would be officially 18.

"It still isn't too late," I hissed back. The time on the clock now read 8:30. This was it. No going back now – I am officially 18 years old. A full year older than Edward. Well, physically speaking.

That was when it began. A weird tingly sensation started running through my hands. The time on the clock blurred, and I was afraid to look at anything else for fear that a sudden movement would cause me to collapse.

"Bella?" The voice of an angel floated towards me. "Are you alright?"

I forced my eyes open and saw seven pairs of light butterscotch eyes looking down on me. Apparently, they had prepared for the occasion.

"What happened?" I tried to sit up, but my head started swirling again so I decided to lean against the soft arm of the sofa. My whole body tingled the way my hands had earlier, almost as if something cold was running through my veins. It felt very pleasant, similar to ice.

"You got this funny look on your face, and collapsed," Edward said. "Lucky you were already in my arms so you did not fall very far."

"Why didn't I see this coming?" Alice looked extremely confused. Jasper wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear. I imagine he was telling her that it was not her fault. But still – why did Alice not see that I was going to pass out?

"Don't worry about it," I reassured her, "It is not as if you could have prevented this."

"Your blood sugar levels are fine, so clearly that is not the problem." Edward looked perplexed. "Maybe you were just so overwhelmed by the situation."

"Maybe," I repeated. "I feel really cold." The ice still had not stopped. Esme covered me with a warm red fleece blanket.

"Is that better?" she asked.

"Sort of." The coldness was coming from inside my body, so the blanket really made no difference.

"Bella?" Edward repeated my name. "I think I'm going to take you home. The human way. You've had enough excitement for one night."

Before I could protest, Edward's cold arms were around me and he gently plopped me into the passenger seat of his Volvo. I wrapped my arms around my chest, but it did nothing to prevent the cold. Edward looked concerned.

"Are you sick?" he asked.

"I don't think so. I feel fine, except slightly light-headed and cold. But I don't feel sick or anything like that."

"Right." He didn't look convinced.

The rest of the short drive to my house was spent in silence. I could tell by Edward's far-off gaze that he was trying to figure out what happened. I was too cold to try and get answers.

Due to Edward's NASCAR-like driving techniques, we made it back to my house in record time. He began to get out of the car.

"Edward?" I asked. "Can you stay with me tonight? I don't know what's going on and I'm really cold and …"

"I wasn't planning on leaving you," he interrupted. "Let's get in the house, Charlie is looking out the window and is wondering what we are doing in the car together at this time of night."

"Okay." He went to pick me up. "I can walk. I don't think Charlie would be very happy if you carried me inside." I was still shivering, and the shaking was making walking even more difficult for me than it is normally. Edward's cold hand grabbed mine.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked softly. His eyes looked into mine, as if he were trying to peer into my soul.

"No."

"I meant alright to walk, obviously you are currently not alright in general."

"Oh, okay."

"Try to go to sleep," Edward's cold breath brushed softly against my ear.

I wasn't tired. Normally when I cannot fall asleep, I am tired, but thinking about so many things that I get too distracted to fall asleep. Tonight was different. It was one of those rare times when I felt like I could go to sleep the minute my head touched the pillow. Instead I was lying there, totally awake, covered in the warm blankets Edward piled on top of me. Even under the layers of wool, my body did not feel any warmer.

"I'm not tired," I told him.

"Bella, it is natural for you to sleep." He started humming a tune in my ear, the lullaby he wrote for me last spring. "Is this helping?"

I never got a chance to answer. The sound of his voice sent me into a world of unconsciousness. The next thing I was aware of was a feeling of soaring through the sky. I looked to my right, and saw that I was in a horse-drawn chariot. And a beautiful woman was driving.


End file.
